Laundry appliance having a fine-particle filter for separating microfibers from process fluids

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a tub positioned within an outer cabinet. A drum is rotationally operable within the tub. A fluid pump directs a process fluid through a fluid path that includes the tub. A fine-particle filter is positioned within the fluid path. The fine-particle filter separates microfibers from the process fluid to define captured microfibers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry appliance comprising:
 a tub positioned within an outer cabinet;   a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub;   a fluid pump that directs a process fluid through a fluid path that includes the tub; and   a fine-particle filter positioned within the fluid path, wherein the fine-particle filter separates microfibers from the process fluid to define captured microfibers.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid path includes a recirculating fluid path that recirculates the process fluid through the tub, wherein the fine-particle filter is positioned within the recirculating fluid path. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fine-particle filter is incorporated within a housing that is selectively removable from the fluid path for disposing the captured microfibers, and wherein the housing is accessible via an exterior of the outer cabinet. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the drum is operated via a motor and a controller that operates the motor according to a predetermined operational sequence, and wherein during a microfiber capturing phase, movement of the process fluid is slowed and a fluid level of the process fluid within the tub increases, wherein when a flow of the process fluid is below a threshold, sensors communicate with the controller to operate the motor according to a filtering sequence. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the filtering sequence includes at least a decreased rotational acceleration of the drum about a rotational axis. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid path includes a primary filter that separates larger fibers and larger particles from the process fluid and wherein the primary filter is upstream of the fine-particle filter. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid path includes a drain conduit, wherein the fine-particle filter is positioned within the drain conduit and within the outer cabinet. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the primary filter is within a recirculating fluid path. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fine-particle filter is in a form of a removable cartridge that is selectively disposed within a filter receptacle of a filter housing. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the filtering sequence of the motor is characterized by an acceleration threshold that increases a time period for the motor and the drum to reach a desired rotational speed. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the filtering sequence is characterized by a decreased maximum rotational speed of the motor and the drum. 
     
     
         12 . A laundry appliance comprising:
 a tub positioned within an outer cabinet;   a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub;   a motor that operates the drum about a rotational axis;   a fluid pump that directs a process fluid through a fluid path that includes the tub;   a fine-particle filter positioned within the fluid path, wherein the fine-particle filter separates microfibers from the process fluid, wherein delivery of the process fluid through the fine-particle filter results in an accumulation of process fluid within the tub; and   a controller that operates the motor, wherein the controller operates the motor according to a predetermined operational sequence when a flow of the process fluid is below a threshold level with respect to the tub and the fluid pump, and wherein the controller operates the motor according to a diminished acceleration sequence when the flow of the process fluid reaches the threshold level.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the fluid path includes a recirculating fluid path that recirculates the process fluid through the tub, wherein the fine-particle filter is positioned within the recirculating fluid path. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the diminished acceleration sequence includes at least a decreased rotational acceleration of the drum about the rotational axis. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the fluid path includes a primary filter that separates larger fibers and larger particles from the process fluid. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the fluid path includes a drain conduit, wherein the fine-particle filter is positioned within the drain conduit and within the outer cabinet, and wherein the fluid pump operates to selectively and alternatively deliver the process fluid through the recirculating fluid path and the drain conduit. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the fine-particle filter is in a form of a removable cartridge that is selectively disposed within a filter receptacle of a filter housing. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the diminished acceleration sequence of the motor is characterized by one of an acceleration threshold that increases a time for the motor and the drum to reach a desired rotational speed, and a decreased maximum rotational speed of the motor and the drum. 
     
     
         19 . A method for operating a laundry appliance, the method including steps of:
 beginning a laundry cycle and operating a motor for a drum according to a predetermined operational sequence;   delivering process fluid through a fluid path that includes a tub and the drum that rotationally operates within the tub;   filtering the process fluid using a fine-particle filter;   slowing a flow of the process fluid within the tub and the drum to allow for increased filtration of the process fluid within the fine-particle filter;   modulating operation of the motor to be a diminished acceleration sequence when the flow of the process fluid reaches a threshold level within the tub;   modulating the operation of the motor to be the predetermined operational sequence when the flow of the process fluid is below the threshold;   completing the laundry cycle;   removing a fine-particle cartridge from the fine-particle filter when the fine-particle cartridge is saturated with micro fibers; and   installing a new fine-particle cartridge into the fine-particle filter.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the flow of the process fluid is measured using one of a fluid flow sensor and a fluid pressure sensor.